On Wednesday, Israel intensified its offensive in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, deploying tanks to the west and drawing accusations from Jordan of significant damage to its field hospital due to nearby shelling.
Israeli military tanks roll near the border with the Gaza Strip on December 3, 2023, amid continuing battles between Israel and the militant group Hamas. Israel struck Gaza targets on December 3 in its war on Hamas as international concern mounted over the spiralling civilian death toll.
HNGN reported earlier that Israel has pushed its assault on Khan Younis located in Southern Gaza. Israel has also recently sent tanks over to the area which led to accusations from Jordan that its field hospital suffered damage as a result of nearby shelling. The army of Jordan has held Israel responsible for what they described as a "flagrant breach of international law". At the time of writing the Israeli army has yet to comment.
It was further reported by Reuters that his isn't the only hospital that is affected by the conflict. At the time of writing only one-third of Gaza's hospitals remain partially operational. However, the spokesperson of the Israeli Government, Eylon Levy has said that extra field hospitals were expected to be running in the coming days. Levy also stated, "These have of course been necessitated by Hamas' strategic militarization of Gaza's existing hospitals". Hamas has denied the usage of hospitals as cover.
Reuters went on to report that speaking with those located further south in Rafah after moving based on Israel's advice civilians have shared their grievances, "We were asleep and then we found the missiles falling on us. We got up and couldn't see anything. We started checking on each other. The girl was martyred." This comes from the girl's aunt, Tahreer Shoman who also added that while the girl's sibling was wounded she did survive.
How Much Does This Cost?
It has been stated by the head of the Palestine Investment Fund, Mohammed Mustafa that it would cost a hefty $15 billion at least just to rebuild the homes in Gaza. However, this $15 billion does not account for the damage done to basic infrastructure as well as hospitals. Mustafa has also stated, "If the war in Gaza continues, more people are likely to die of hunger or famine than war". At the time of writing the population of Gaza is facing hunger and potential disease as supplies deplete.
Finally, Palestine health officials have stated that the current death toll stands at 24,448 after it was reported that 163 more Gazans had died as a result of this conflict. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have said that the military has killed a reported 9,000 Hamas militants while the number of those lost on their side currently stands at 193. That brings the total death toll on all ends to 33,641 four months after the conflict began.
